Awards and Recognition

The National Council on Family Relations has conferred its prestigious fellow status on Jodi Dworkin, professor and extension specialist in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. Dworkin has made exceptional contributions to Family Science as a scholar, educator, and leader. Her early research on youth and family development contributed to understanding risk-taking behaviors. Her scholarship has positioned her as a national leader on parent engagement and families and technology.

Meggan Craft is quoted in Science magazine about a parasite that makes wolves more likely to become pack leaders; Tim Whitfeld is quoted in a Minnesota Public Radio story about the work of a pioneering Arctic explorer from Minnesota gaining new relevance in tracking the effects of climate change; Jian Ping-Wang is mentioned in the Star Tribune story, “Niron Magnetics plans to power greener electric motors”; Raphael Stern and Ron Moen are quoted in the Mpls. St. Paul Magazine story “Lowering Deer-Related Car Accidents in Minnesota”; Jetter Robertson is quoted in a Minnesota Public Radio about a rare neurological disorder seen that may have been sparked by RSV; Mark Bergen and Rose Semenov write about lessons from hyperinflationary periods in the Harvard Business Review; Joseph Gaugler is quoted in the Star Tribune about a new tool that helps Minnesotans screen out unsafe senior home providers; Michael Coughlin is quoted in the Reuters story, “Distant black hole is caught in the act of annihilating a star.”

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing received a three-year, $1.5 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase the number of doctorally prepared American Indian/Alaska Native nurses. The project, Pathway to Graduate Nursing Degree for American Indian/Alaska Native Nurses, will address the underrepresentation of American Indian/Alaska Native nurses and, ultimately, the serious health disparities experienced by American Indian/Alaska Native people by improving health outcomes.

In the U.S., sexual and gender minority (SGM) older adults are disproportionately at risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), and are more likely to rely on nursing homes and assisted-living residences than their heterosexual peers. But when it comes to adopting SGM-explicit policies and training the long-term services and support (LTSS) staff in culturally sensitive care of SGM clients, the U.S. care system has a number of flaws. A $2.5 million-plus National Institutes of Health grant will allow researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health to address these policy gaps and help improve the care of SGM with AD/ADRD in LTSS facilities. Professor Simon Rosser and Associate Professor Tetyana Shippee are co-principal investigators on this collaboration.

The University of Minnesota and Kiel University recently formalized a collaborative relationship when Vice President for Research Shashank Priya and Kiel University Vice President Eckhard Quandt signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement opens the door for faculty and student exchanges and joint activities, including conferences and symposia, and will facilitate knowledge transfer at a faster level.

Extension Educator Jennifer Garbow is quoted at Minnesota Public Radio about how to avoid being stressed about money this holiday season; Rhea Owens is quoted in the Duluth News Tribune story, “Need a pick-me-up? Try gratitude”; Jim Cotter is interviewed in the MPR News story, “Why shark teeth are some of Minnesota's most common fossils”; Matt Simcik is quoted in Investigate Midwest about the high concentrations of dangerous ‘forever chemicals' found in Midwestern rivers; Tim Lindberg writes in Minnesota Lawyer about how same-sex marriage gained bipartisan support; Manka Nkimbeng is quoted in a Sahan Journal story about a finding showing that Black people in Scott County live an average of 89.7 years–longer than almost anywhere else in the nation; Craig Packer is quoted in the Washington Post about how mating is changing in a hotter world; George John is quoted in the Star Tribune about what the hot gift is this year.

Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T. A. Croson has announced the 2021-22 awardees of the Imagine Fund, including the Arts, Humanities, and Design Chair Award; the Special Events Awards; and the Annual Faculty Research Grants. The Imagine Fund was established in 2007 through a generous grant from the McKnight Foundation to support research and scholarship in the arts, design, and humanities at the University of Minnesota. Learn more about the awardees and their projects at the Imagine Fund website.

To help increase the diversity of the pharmacy workforce and improve overall health outcomes for vulnerable populations, the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy has announced a grant of $750,000 over three years from The McKesson Foundation. The donation will support the launch of two initiatives designed to better support minority doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students and to enhance the diversity of the pharmacy workforce.

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) has named University of Minnesota School of Public Health (SPH) professor Joseph Gaugler as the new editor-in-chief of The Gerontologist, effective January 2023. The Gerontologist is a peer-reviewed publication of GSA, the nation’s oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. Gaugler is a professor and the Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair in Long-Term Care and Aging at SPH; director of SPH’s Center for Healthy Aging and Innovation; director of the BOLD Public Health Center of Excellence on Dementia Caregiving; and an emeritus Long-Term Care Professor in the U of M’s School of Nursing.

John Swenson is quoted in Minnesota Public Radio about why Lake Superior's legendary gales blow especially hard in November; George John is quoted at KARE 11 about a Twin Cities survey indicating a big jump in holiday spending; Wenlei Chen and Patrick Kelly are quoted in USA Today about a 'stellar explosion' of a star from over 11 billion years ago that was captured by the Hubble Telescope; Michael Howell is interviewed in a Minnesota Public Radio story about how to get a better night’s sleep; Nobel-winning former University of Minnesota economist Edward Prescott passed away, as reported in the Star Tribune; Elizabeth Campbell co-authors “How to Manage a Superstar Employee” at The Wall Street Journal; turkeys are going to be harder to get this Thanksgiving, with comments from Michael Boland at KSTP-TV.